Pot party gets green light at Seattle Center

Share this story

SEATTLE - A marijuana activist turned a pipe dream into reality when got the city to sign-off on a pot party under the Space Needle. Ben Livingston plans to host the event to celebrate the first anniversary of legal weed in America. It wasn't easy to arrange.

Livingston said it was a discouraging response, but the seed of inspiration had been planted and he was determined to succeed.

"So I worked to convince them that not only was it appropriate and allowable but it was actually in their best interests to do this," he said.

The cannabis activist got the permit to hold the event in the old Fun Forest amusement park area, near the Monorail. Privacy fencing will encircle the party, ages will be verified and no marijuana will be sold on site.

"BYOB," Livingston said. "Bring your own bud."

The organizer says this is about more than smoking out. Livingston is trying to point out lingering contradictions in the law. He says the state plans to start licensing cannabis retail stores, but is not providing any place to legally consume marijuana. He hopes to blaze a trail that other cannabis activists can follow.

"This is essentially hopefully going to be an archetype, something that other people can look at and say oh this is how it can be done, and comply with all state and local laws," Livingston says. "That's the goal."

The party gets started at 3 p.m. on Dec. 6. It's free and open to anyone 21 and over.